348 Considering a 348 to replace Honda s2000 AP1 – advice needed

There are lots of and lots of “what’s a 348 like to own?” threads in here, including recently.

Going from a Honda to a Ferrari is like going from your junior high girlfriend to Elizabeth Taylor in terms of maintenance.

 

Like most guys here I’ve owned a bunch of high performance cars, I’ve never been attracted to owning Hondas or Acuras tho so no info on that comparison. But I will tell you my 348 is my favorite enthusiast car that I’ve owned so far. I got lucky and found a very nice one, especially the interior. I’d agree a ratty interior would bother me also. Parts availability is the only issue I've had problems with.

 

My close friend had a S2000, then added a NSX, then went to a manual 360. He's back to the S2000.

He never felt comfortable driving the Ferrari because he was worried when it would break. I couldn't convince him to put miles on it. His Hondas are great sport cars and have the maintenance schedules of regular cars. They are very practical. If you can get over this then you're in for a treat.

I drove his S2000 and NSX. I didn't get to drive the 360 but I've spent time with a 355. Every interaction with the 355 was special. The 348 will do the same.

 

This is the essence of your argument and decision: it’s far less reliable and affordable to maintain than the S2000

 

I have driven a couple of NSXs (even a few laps on track) and been in a S2000 a couple of times. They are both really amazing technically but didn't give me "the fizz".

The one thing I should mention is that if you're addicted to the screaming 9,000 rpm redline of the S2000, it will probably have to be a F355 to scratch the same itch.

 

You won’t get on with the gearbox , compared to a mass manufacturer Japanese car .
You will get frustrated with Italian electrics .

To make a success out of classic or semi classic 30 yr + Ferrari ownership you need to car savvy , a bit hands on maintenance wise , a bit forgiving on build quality assuming your daily in a German or Japanese car .

You also need to cross that mental barrier of occasionally throwing €1000 s in over and above routine maintenance, but the flip side there’s very little depreciation or highly likely some indeed appreciation if you are in for the long term . So normally when you cash out it’s free motoring in the EU .

You need NOT to be too bothered by excess attention it will draw in eastern EU .

These cars don’t blend in .
Very well received in Germany, Switzerland and of course Italy .

 

You really should drive one. Then be prepared for maintenance to be 10x the cost of the Honda. So instead of a hundred a year, it'll be a thousand.

 

70€ should get you a good one.

as above lots of threads on here about buying experience etc.

maintainence, budget €2-3k per annum and it should even out.

 

€2-3k *once* you have the car sorted out and stabilized, unless you buy one that’s immaculate.

 

I am not getting this repeated 2-3 K pa ( what ever currency ) running costs .
They are no different to AN other aged classic . Let’s toss in a NSX , Porsche 962 , Porsche 986 clubs sport , Merc 500 SL all circa 92-94 .

But and it’s a big but one of the above inc a 348 purchased NOT privately.From a specialist, a marque specialist who’s know. The car for [ insert yrs ] in my case the past 11 yrs a U.K. reputed specialist London based .

Sure it will need cam belts ( just done ) in 5 yrs , it’s triple seals as and when , But in between it’s just basic lub + filters under £2-300 Pa . I have fresh 24 dated rubber ( Mich PS 4/5 s ) .
Removed the wheels the other day the rear pads a near new , fronts 1/2 worn .It’s showing under 25 K on the odd with a nice U.K. mot trial , came the original Marenello BoS via the dealer in Chanel islands .

Having owned a Testarossa imported from Switzerland, for 11 yrs through the90 s a near new 360 F1 2008-2022 , bought a GT 4 in sumner 2018 again an import this time from Italy ( Naples no salt on roads ) - still got this BTW and now added a 348 SP ( importantly a 94 *) I just can’t see much over a diy lub . Doing only 1-3 K miles in each maybe less Pa the tyres crack before you get anywhere near the wear bars .

Nowts ever gone wrong . Just basic stuff like aged relayed proactive changing of pipes belts , batteries etc .

Any spend s like the recent £200 for a renewed seat bolster on the GT4 is pure discretionary not absolutely needed .

I did blow or “invest “back in 2020 nearly £5 K on the gt 4 with a major , not just the belts but th3 drive shaft seals ,many other seals , valves timing etc etc . I guess you could divide that up by 5 making £1 k then add my £300 dIY service annually .

Even my Testarossa was 2 belts service @ by specialist £3 k each + my DIY lubs annually never worked out anywhere near £2-3 K over its 11 yrs .

The 360 was full FSH at JCT Leeds , varied from £800 for a small lub service to £1400 for a lub + a suspension bush , to £2500 every three yrs for a cam belt job ….this is a Ferrari dealer .
I bought it for £38 K the week after the 2008 financial crash , 18 K miles . Sold it 2022 on 44 K miles with FFSH for £56 K .
So it went up £18 K but I never spent that on it at a Ferrari dealer . It was easy to live with ( read never wash it ) silver with black leather as well .
Not a re sale red with grubby cream blue jeans stained seats .

@ the op buy from a specialist who knows the car , that’s had all the stuff done .Negotiate a belt service + fresh rubber and crucially ask this “ does everything work “ ?

Then you can get a annual for …….watch this .



* Try and get a 94 runout modal …..they upgraded and improved it every yr the 94 basically the same suspension as the 95 355 with motronic 2.7 …..the sweet spot for both .

 

As the owner of a 348 and an m119 r129 I can tell you with absolute certainty that your statement is complete horse-****.

 

I don’t think you read between the lines . I was inferring if the op s buy a car from a marque specialist who knows the car has maintained it for the past X yrs ( longer the better ) and resists …..happy to re spell it out for your benefit AGAIN - NOT from a private sale bcz a private sale will have heaps of deferred maintenance stored up .
This is the circumstances I agree it’s a perpetual 2-3 K + more if latent horrors throw up .

How ever this is avoidable.

eg mine 3 yrs ago had the fuel pumps removed / serviced , the fuel pressure regulators replaced up graded . Nothing wrong reported by the owner , it ran fine - just the Marque specialist recommendation based on his shops experience . No break downs flat bedding , just done @ annual lub .

These cars indeed any 30 yr car are gonna need documentation backing up age related maintenance.

i stand by my assertion having had 4 in 30 yrs - if you buy a F dar from a marque specialist backed up with a thick file of the usual stuff in this case 348 Achilles heals ….as Hoovie said “ nothings gone wrong “ and it was a simple $500 lub Job .

Sure it will needs that oil pipe , perhaps at the due soon - next belt job .Aside it’s a $300 part and easy diy able .

Not saying Lemons don’t find a home .I am showing the guy where to minimise the risk of buying a lemon , kinda to get near as possible to the S2000 owner ship experience his accustomed to .

Of course he could like many others buy a molested , differed maintenance, but cosmetically attractive pimped up bigger wheel 348 . Where the $ s have spent but in the wrong places like wheels , speakers , chips , de cat s etc etc .

 

I went from an S2000 to a manual 360 spider, and then to a F355 GTS.

I have owned a 348 spider as well and alot of seat time in most Ferraris of the 90s, 2000’s.

I love the s2000 and have owned 3 of them. The 348 I would never consider as anything like an s2000- to me the weak point of the 348 is the gearbox where it’s the highlight of the s2000.

360 was underwhelming compared to a slightly modified s2000. Especially if you like to track your car.

For me the only car that sort of replaced the s2000 somewhat was my F355. The screaming engine and high redline coupled with the nice 6 speed gearbox was just about enough to surpass the S2000. Don’t even get me started on the reliability and costs to run compared to an s2000!

 

you misunderstand my post.

“budget” £2-3k and that should cover anything that comes up; I didnt say you “will” spend that each year.

Ive had cheap years and expensive years with my 348 and 355 and think the above numbers are sensible/ reasonable.

 

In 30 yrs of Fcar ownership…consisting of in order ..Testarossa with 2 specialist belt services , a set of TRX boots as well ! 360 annually at a Ferrari franchise, current GT 4 with a £5 K belt + gen every seal job , this new to me 348 SP ……
I never spent the “ 2 “ that’s £60 K never mind the “3” factor @ £90 K on running them .

Sure there was even the odd £1000 dropped in .eg the Testarossa had a new fuse board …they crack like many Italian electrics irrc it was £180 for the board back in 98 and 1 / 1/2 Labour ….what triggered it was the winky eye lights ….done by a reputed specialist. £500 all in for that fix .

Not sure why ? All I can conclude reading forums , watching YouTube …” how I spent $20 000 on major “ is they bought a car with differed maintenance ? Dunno ? *

Sure a oil filter for them with the valve is £40 , but oil is oil there’s no F tax on that , likewise brakes are cross parted with ordinary stuff , but even doing 2-4 K miles pa you ain’t gonna be burning through consumables.

That’s why I lumped in Porsche 94 , 962 , a 968 club sport and even a 94 Merc 500 SL …..those by now will have caliper rebuilds etc etc odd brake lines , clogged fuel pumps , dodgy relays due to age just like a 30 yr old 348 .

* As an aside I note the dip stick on the 348 gearbox .You have to be proactive and remove it to measure ….nothing in the handbook suggesting “ check every [ insert miles ] is there !
The triple seal on the gearbox clutch drive shaft ( amongst other seals in there ) …..how many owners open the inspection hatch and regularly [ Agian insert time interval ] inspect for weeps / leaks ? Who else does this apart from me ?

Conclusion internet is loaded with takes of woe re 348 gearbox along the lines of bearing cage failure.

But they were raced in the GT series and indeed brought out a competition model .Don’t recall g box retirements ?

So this brings me round to deferred maintenance….the ave John Doe owner .running around with a dry ish gearbox oblivious to its oil level = busted box .

Bcz the family Toyota was / is park up and forget with one trip to a fast lub centre pa and lasted 20 yrs on that diet .

So the new 348 owner who doesn’t get his hands dirty lives in a apartment etc ….sooner or later congests the social media outlets with tales of expensive woe like busted gearboxes.

As I opened in this thread ….you gotta be hands on , proactive with analogue f car ownership .
Thats partly why I binned the 360 F1 it’s too electrotwackery and I was hooked by the dealer .Very little room for DIY . Couldn’t get away from F tax in full force .

The GT4 on Webbers it’s between as simple as wheelbarrow and garden strimmer / bushwhacker …..truly that simple .

The 348 with its dip of toe by Ferrari into motronic fuel injection albeit v2.7 ….bcz it a twin bank set up and has very few sensors compared to 5.2 or the electrotwackery on new F cars ….is also very DIY able . Not quite as simple as a carb 3#8 series , but not a huge intimidating leap either .

Obviously if the prospect is from gen Z , never wrenched also had Japanese super reliant on hired hands then owning a f car , any decade is gonna cost him . Your 2-3K pa starts to feel correct .

 

Bad news is, you're right, it's irrational. Good news is you're trying to rationalize the irrational, meaning you really want one. My advice is to just get one, you can always sell it and it won't lose much value and will probably do the opposite. Forget about trying to rationalize it, it doesn't make sense. As I've said in the past, it's the dumbest financial decision you can make but the best money you can spend. You have to consider it spent money and enjoy it without worrying about the financial soundness of it. These are play things, not investments.

 

This

 

Honestly, if you're asking, any of those might not be right for you. Do you really, really want a 348? Unless you feel very strongly about a particular Ferrari model, there's no reason to even consider them as some sort of rationalized decision. Maybe try an Alfa 4C or something as a stepping stone?

 

I, personally, never liked the 360/430 shape.
I, personally, like the shape and smallness of my F355.

The reason the 430 has drifted into the price range of an F355 is because the F355 is recognized as the last of the analog Ferraris, which is now making them relatively more valuable.

 

Which car really speaks to you?

 

Whether you choose 348 or F355, neither are a replacement for the S2000.

A sorted Japanese car of that period has a very basic but connected feeling, they're very intuitive to drive and since they are small compact cars, it's like wearing driving gloves.

Whilst I don't know how you drive, if you like driving at 8/10 - 10/10 on the street, short of a modern GT3 of some kind, you will be disappointed in the experience by moving from a S2000 to a 348 or 355.

I'm a JDM fan, owned pretty much everything from that period, R33 & R34 GTRs, Supras, RX7s, multiple Integra Type Rs and every generation of Nissan S chassis etc. All were manual, as a driving proposition I feel far more comfortable driving those cars to their limits than my current manual F355.

If you can stretch to a F355, do it. If not, 348 is fine you are getting 80-90% of the same experience. Which is a completely unique experience, it's an amazing looker and now that they are classic cars, no one cares if they are fast or not in a world of EVs. These old Ferraris draw a lot of positive attention. If you don't like being seen or noticed, don't get one.

It's a car to just take it easy in, with soft riding stock suspension from factory, unless you plan to modify, it's not a car I feel comfortable driving at 10/10s. It's far more comfortable to be at 5 to 6 tenths, occasionally up to 8/10.

The main thing about these cars are the Dino V8s, they sound amazing, especially with an aftermarket exhaust, if anything the sound, along with the gated manual and those looks are what makes the experience so unique. For anyone lucky enough to experience it, to me that's what these older Ferraris are all about.

If you search for my older posts, I was asking for advice on this forum whether I should replace my F355 with a 911 GT3. Being fortunate enough to keep my F355 and still being able to purchase a 4L GT3, I can now confidently say, even a 9000rpm GT3 is NOT a replacement for the F355.

Horses for courses, F355 is best driven at normal speeds whilst enjoying the unique experience and amazing sound. Even the GT3 is no match in that use case, that car shines in terms of offering a feeling of control and connectedness that pushes you to explore the limits of grip, however since that limit is so high, you can rarely get there on public roads.

So if I were in your boat, try and keep the S2000 if you like the experience it offers, it's totally different to a classic Ferrari and it's like comparing oranges to apples.

If you can't keep both, it is worth taking the plunge to get a 348 or 355 because the experience is worth it. You can decide for yourself later if you want to stay on the classic Ferrari train or move back to grassroots sports cars.